


Double the Trouble

by WordsInTimeAndSpace



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-10 16:54:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11695911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WordsInTimeAndSpace/pseuds/WordsInTimeAndSpace
Summary: While they are separated on an alien marketplace, the Doctor promptly gets arrested. Rose goes on a rescue mission - but unknowingly to her, there is a second version of the Doctor around.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here is my contribution to Eight x Rose August :) I'm posting this as I'm writing, so I might make the chapters a little shorter than usual and only do a bit of editing. Hope you enjoy it anyway!

“Rose!”

The Doctor’s impatient voice sounded through her bathroom door. Rose stopped in the middle of combing her hair, still wet after a shower. A few drops of water dripped onto the tiles.

“Yes?” she shouted back. A second later the door swung open and the Doctor barged in, a bright smile on his lips. It was infectious, that smile, and Rose nearly forgot to be mad at him for invading her privacy. He didn’t seem to mind that she was standing in front of him only wrapped in a fluffy pink towel.

“We’ve landed,” he announced and Rose rolled her eyes.

“You couldn’t wait five minutes until I’m done to tell me?”

“Nope. Who knows how long you take to get dressed and…” The Doctor’s eyes finally wandered over her body and he faltered. Rose smirked as his gaze lingered on her legs, just for a second, before he raised his eyes back to her. A faint blush covered his cheeks.

“Yes?” Rose prompted when the Doctor remained speechless.

The Doctor cleared his throat. “Err, I wanted to say, I’ll go ahead. Take as much time as you want to get ready. I’ll get the needed parts for the Tardis first, that’ll bore you anyway.”

Rose frowned at him. “And where exactly are we?” she asked.

“Prion! A beautiful planet. We’re in the town Pharith near the capital. They’ve got a brilliant market here. I’m sure that’ll keep you busy until I’m done. Meet me for lunch in… let’s say two hours? At the big fountain in the middle of the marketplace?”

“All right,” Rose agreed and the Doctor grinned.

“Perfect! I left you a credit stick in the console room.”

The Doctor whirled around on his heels, but Rose stopped him before he could dash out of the room.

“Wait! Is it safe in… what did you call it? Pharith?”

Smiling, the Doctor raised an eyebrow at her. “Of course. No need to worry. You’ll be fine.”

“I’m more worried about you,” Rose said with a tongue-touched grin and the Doctor spluttered.

“Oi! I’m not the jeopardy friendly one of us two!” he protested, but then he tilted his head and scrunched up his nose as a thought crossed his mind. “Although, to be precise I did get in trouble with the police in Pharith once. But I made sure to land us a few years before that. We don’t want to get arrested, do we?”

Flashing her one last smile, he buried his hands in the pockets of his suit and walked away. Rose sighed, watching him retreat down the corridor.

“Now he’s just jinxed it,” she mumbled as she turned back to the mirror.

~

Half an hour later, Rose bounced into the console room, ready to explore the world waiting for her outside of the doors. Her gaze fell onto the jump seat, covered with all kinds of knickknacks: a ball of yarn, a yoyo, a bright pink handkerchief, a mug and an edition of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. And on top of the pile, the credit stick the Doctor had promised her. Apparently it had taken him a while until he could dig it out of his pockets. Rose picked up the stick and was ready to dart out of the doors when her gaze fell onto something small and black covered by the handkerchief. The Doctor’s psychic paper. Rose frowned. It wasn’t like him to leave it behind - but maybe he’d just forgotten to take it with him. Without a second thought, Rose pocketed the psychic paper and the credit stick and finally made her way outside.

Pharith, it turned out, really was a beautiful place. Two suns shone down from a pale blue sky onto white cobblestone roads that were bustling with people. Rose strolled across the round marketplace that was packed with stalls and vendors selling colourful gowns, delicious food and all sorts of trinkets. She got herself a drink that tasted like pineapple, although it was bright blue, and wandered over to a stall selling jewellery. 

As she browsed through the selection of necklaces and bracelets, a group of people caught her eye that passed through the place behind her. Rose suspected they were the locals of Prion, tall humanoids that towered over her by a couple of inches, with faint pink marks covering the skin of their arms and necks. She’d seen them already all over the market. But while most of them dressed in red or orange gowns, the people in this group wore uniforms in dark blue. Police, Rose could read on the badges on their upper arms. She nervously shifted from one foot to another and took a sip of her drink to look as unsuspiciously as possible. From the corner of her eye she watched how the patrol passed the street. When they were out of sight, Rose let out a breath of relief.

“Is the police here a lot?” she casually asked the man next to her who just tried on a necklace.

The man looked up from the mirror placed on the stand and raised his eyebrows. “Oh, from time to time. Pretty regularly recently. Why are you asking?”

Rose shrugged. “Dunno. They just caught my eye. They are a bit prominent between all the other people, don’t you think?”

“Yes, definitely.” The man smiled and held up two necklaces. “Yellow or green?”

“Yellow,” Rose decided after having a look at the two sparking pendants and the man tried it on. “Did something happen recently?”

“Well, you know how it is in a place like this with so many people,” the man said, scrutinizing himself in the mirror. “There is trouble sometimes. I think they’re looking for someone and that’s why they are patrolling the market.”

“Right, thanks. Yellow suits you,” Rose smiled, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in the depths of her stomach. It was probably nothing. But if she’d learned one thing during her travels with the Doctor, it was that there were hardly any coincidences when it came to him. “I’ve got to go. I should find my friend before he gets into trouble as well.”

Without waiting for an answer she left, breaking out into a run. But she had no idea where to look for the Doctor. The place was huge and crowded. She still had an hour until they wanted to meet up for lunch, and Rose didn’t know how to find him before. Looking through she crowd, she didn’t see any familiar faces. Only the locals of Prion and the occasional alien with scaly green skin or huge claws instead of fingers. 

Cursing under her breath she finally slowed down, wandering around the fountain where she was supposed to meet the Doctor. She tried to calm her nerves. He could take care of himself. And most likely the police was searching for someone else. Well, probably. Maybe.

Just as Rose sat down on the edge of the fountain, another police patrol passed by, urgently sprinting across the market. Without a second thought, Rose jumped up and followed them, slipping through the crowds until there was no way to go any further. A mass of people blocked the way, as confused as she was, murmuring and craning their necks as they tried to see what was going on.

“What’s happening over there?” Rose asked, a bit breathless, but the people around her only shrugged.

“Oh, they’ve caught him!” a woman in front of her suddenly exclaimed. Rose prayed that it wouldn’t be her reckless companion, but all her hopes were crushed with the next words. “They caught the Doctor!”

Rose heaved a sigh. Only one hour on this planet until he got arrested - that had to be a new record. How could she’ve been so naive to think that she could pass this day without going on a rescue mission?


	2. Chapter 2

It took a while until the crowd blocking the road in front of Rose dissolved. As soon as she was able to slip through she pushed forward, and by then both the police and the Doctor were already gone. Rose raked a hand through her hair, looking around for any clue of what was going on. But the people on the market were already back to business as if nothing had happened. There wasn’t a sign in which direction they had vanished.

A bit clueless, Rose approached the nearest stall. Maybe someone else could help. “Excuse me,” she said and the vendor looked up from his newspaper, arching an eyebrow. “Did you see what happened here?”

He let out an annoyed sigh. “Always these off-worlders,” he complained, letting his gaze wander over her with a disapproving look. “Causing trouble until the police has to step in. Do you have any idea how bad it is for business if someone gets arrested right in front of your stall?”

“I’m sorry,” Rose said, cringing. “Can you tell me what they’re doing with prisoners here?”

“What do you care?”

“Oh, you know…” Rose shuffled her feet. “He seemed a bit dangerous, this Doctor. Just want to know if it’s safe here, now that they arrested him.”

“Arranging a prisoner transport to the capital usually takes a while, but no need to worry. They’re locking him up at the station until they can send someone for interrogation. Look, are you actually buying something or do you just want to waste my time?” The vendor’s gaze darkened and Rose took a step back. She gave him an apologizing smile.

“Sorry, gotta run,” she said and whirled around.

Finding the police station turned out to be relatively easy. It was a large building just a few streets away from the marketplace. Rose sat down on a bench on the other side of the street, watching people arrive and depart as she tried to think of a plan. Breaking into prison - it was nothing she hadn’t done before. Last time, she hadn’t dared to try it in broad daylight, but this time she had the psychic paper to help. Rose fumbled for the paper in her pocket and smiled when her fingers brushed over the rough leather.

Gathering the courage she needed, Rose finally got up and walked into the station. The door slid open as she approached, revealing a large, bright entrance hall and a reception desk at the end of the room. Trying to look as if she was exactly where she was supposed to be, Rose walked past the few people in the hall and approached the girl sitting behind the desk. She was an off-worlder as well - even her curly brown hair couldn’t hide the horns at the top of her head. Rose smiled brightly, flashing the psychic paper at her.

“Hi, I’m Officer Tyler. I was sent from the capital to interrogate one of your prisoners. The Doctor?”

The girl frowned at the psychic paper and Rose’s heart thumped hard against her ribcage. “How did you get here so fast?” the girl asked, suspicion in her voice.

“Uh, I was in the area,” Rose said, resting an elbow on the desk. “My boss is still on the way, but I could be here sooner, so he sent me ahead. Is that all right?”

“Oh, sure,” the girl said, her face brightening. Rose let out the breath she was holding. The girl finally smiled back and revealed a row of sharp teeth. “We weren’t expecting anyone this soon. I’ll call Captain Richmond to escort you to the cells.”

“That’s not necessary!” Rose blurted out, a little too fast. She cringed. “Sorry. I mean, no need to bother him, right? If he’s anything like my boss, it’s better to leave him alone.”

The girl chuckled. “Yes, that’s usually the best way to handle him. But-”

“Look,” Rose interrupted. “Can’t you just tell me where you keep the prisoner and I’ll find the way there on my own? It’s not a problem, promised.”

For a second the girl looked unsure, but then she nodded. “Okay,” she said, reaching for a piece of paper and scribbling something down. Rose smiled brightly as she passed her the note with the directions.

“Thanks.”

“No problem. Just go that way, turn right in the second hallway, go down the stairs and then you’ll find the high-security area at the end of the corridor. My colleagues will take over from there.”

Rose thanked her and walked down the corridor the girl had described. As soon as the entrance hall was out of sight, she let out a breath and stopped for a second, leaning her back against the wall to support her shaking legs. She took a moment until her pulse returned to normal and continued down the hallway.

The first part was easy: she passed a range of offices and smiled politely at whoever crossed her path. No one questioned what she was doing there, although she felt completely out of place. Then she reached the stairs and gulped. While the ground floor was illuminated by daylight shining through large windows, the basement was dark and only lit by harsh neon lights. Gripping the handrail as tight as she could, Rose descended down the stairs. Her footsteps echoed through the corridor.

Downstairs, Rose followed the hallway until suddenly two guards appeared, clad in the same blue uniforms she had seen before. They came out of a door and turned right, while Rose was coming from the left. Rose stopped dead in her tracks. She held her breath, afraid to make any noise at all. The guards didn’t turn around, but Rose didn’t want to push her luck. 

She peeked into a room on her left and dashed through the open door when she saw it was empty. Inside, she pressed her back against the wall and counted the seconds until the voices in the hallway finally subsided. Only then she dared to move and have a look around. The room seemed to be an archive, with large racks lining the walls that held boxes in all kind of sizes. Near the entrance was a table, covered with various objects and paperwork. Curious, Rose stepped closer to have a better look.

Rose recognized a few devices that looked like weapons, probably confiscated from criminals, but most of the objects looked alien to her. Until her gaze fell onto something that was strikingly familiar, yet strange at the same time. A tube of metal, long and slim, with a handle on one side and a silver ring with a red orb inside on the other. Could it be…? With trembling fingers Rose reached out, brushed her fingers over the shaft and carefully pressed the button at one end. The familiar whirring of the Doctor’s screwdriver sounded through the room.

Perplexed, Rose stared at the screwdriver in her hand. It had happened once or twice before that the Doctor had destroyed his screwdriver while fighting a particularly malicious alien and needed a new one, but never had he changed its design. Rose frowned. Something was off, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

Sudden footsteps in the corridor outside made her flinch. Rose cursed under her breath, silently waiting for the sounds to retreat. She needed to keep moving, before her cover blew up. As soon as it was quiet outside, she slid the sonic screwdriver into the bigger-on-the-inside pocket of her jeans and peeked out of the door. The corridor was empty. Taking a deep breath, Rose continued her way.

The high-security area at the end of the hallway was impossible to miss. A heavy steel door blocked the path, with a small touchscreen embedded on one side and a camera in one corner. There was no door handle. Chewing on her bottom lip, Rose hesitantly tapped the screen, expecting to be asked for some kind of code to open the door. Instead, a voice sounded over the speakers, making Rose flinch.

“Yes?” the voice said, in a slightly exasperated tone. “This is the maximum security area. Are you lost?”

“Uh, no!” Rose said quickly. She forced a smile onto her lips, trying to hide her nervousness, and turned towards the camera. “Sorry. I’m Officer Tyler. I was sent here from the capital to interrogate the Doctor. This is where you keep him, isn’t it?”

There was no answer. Instead, the door opened with a hiss after a few seconds of tense silence. Two guards in uniform stepped out. Both of them were locals of Prion, towering over Rose as they eyed her suspiciously. Rose tried hard not to be unnerved by the weapons on their belts.

“Identification, please,” said the first guard. It was the voice Rose had heard over the speaker. She smiled politely and pulled the psychic paper out of her pocket.

“Sure, there ya go.”

For a long moment the two guards stared at the paper in her hand. Blood was racing in Rose’s veins, making her fingers tremble. Then, without warning, the first guard surged forward, grabbed Rose’s arm and twisted it onto her back.

Rose yelped in shock and pain, letting go of the psychic paper.

“Let me-” she began, but the cold voice of the guard interrupted her.

“Miss, psychic deception is a serious crime on Prion,” the guard said harshly. “I’m arresting you for violation of our laws.”

“I’ve seen this thing before,” the second guard said. From the corner of her eyes Rose saw that he had picked up the psychic paper. She wriggled in the grip of the other guard, but he only tightened his fingers until tears sprang into Rose’s eyes. “It belongs to the Doctor. He tried to use the same trick before.”

“Really? Have we caught an accomplice?” the guard said, craning his neck to get another glimpse of the psychic paper. For a second he loosened his grip and Rose took the chance. With all her strength, she pulled free as long as the guard was distracted and ran.

She didn’t get far. She heard the clicking of guns only seconds before the impact. A burst of energy hit her right between the shoulder blades. Electricity surged through her body, making her scream. A stun gun, Rose could only think, before the darkness overwhelmed her and she hit the ground.


	3. Chapter 3

When Rose slowly drifted back into consciousness, the first thing she became aware of were gentle fingers brushing over her aching skull. Probing and a bit hesitant, careful not to hurt her. The Doctor, Rose realized with a start. She recognized his body temperature. Cooler than hers, but not so much that his touch was uncomfortable. Instead, it felt soothing on her skin. His fingertips brushed over the back of her head and down to her neck, then up to her forehead. Rose winced when he hit a sore spot and the Doctor froze.

With some effort Rose opened her eyes. She was on her back on the floor, surrounded by dull, grey walls. Blinking, Rose tried to focus her eyes on the man hovering above her. Her blood ran cold as she suddenly realized it was not the person she expected to see. Concerned blue eyes, a handsome face, chestnut curls - this man was a complete stranger.

Panic rose in the depths of her stomach and Rose scrambled back, putting a few feet of distance between them. Her head throbbed painfully and for a second bright stars danced in front of her eyes.

“Oh, careful!” the man said, holding up his arms in a disarming gesture. “You hit your head pretty badly. Don’t get up so fast.”

Rose took a few deep breaths to tamper down the nausea that made her stomach churn.

“Who are you?” she finally managed to say. “Where is the Doctor?”

The man looked perplexed. “I am the Doctor,” he said slowly.

“What? But you’re not- oh god, did you regenerate?” Rose got up on shaking legs, blinking as the world spun around her.

“Not recently, no. Please, sit back down.” Within a second the Doctor was at her side, steadying her when Rose staggered. He wrapped an arm around her waist before she could collapse back to the ground. Without thinking, Rose reached out and pressed her palm to his chest. 

With the pounding in her head she needed a bit until she could focus on the sensation. But then she could feel it: two hearts beating under her fingertips. Rose shook her head, confused. He was telling the truth. The urge to get away from him disappeared as sudden as it had come. Letting out a shaking breath, Rose relaxed into his touch. Without protest she let the Doctor guide her back to the ground, leaning her back against the wall.

“There seems to be a misunderstanding,” the Doctor said as he sat down right next to her. “I am the Doctor, but apparently not your Doctor. I’ve never seen you before in my life.”

Catching her breath, Rose let her gaze wander over his features. She was still a bit wary, but he gave her a reassuring smile. “Which body of yours is this?” Rose asked.

“My eighth. Quite a dashing one this time around, if I dare to say so.”

Rose laughed - yes, definitely the Doctor.

“That explains why you don’t know me then. I’m Rose,” she said. “Rose Tyler.”

“Nice to meet you, Rose. Now, how are you feeling? Still dizzy? Any nausea? I checked your skull for any fractures and didn’t find anything too worrying, but I might have missed something.”

“‘M okay,” Rose mumbled. Sitting down helped to settle her stomach. She brushed her fingers over her temple and winced when she hit a bump. “Must have knocked my head on the ground when the guards hit me with the stun gun.”

The Doctor’s face darkened, just like her Doctor’s would. Rose’s heart clenched in her chest with affection.

“Where did they hit you?” he asked softly.

“My back.” Rose tried to show him the exact spot, but when she raised her arm, her muscles cramped and pain shot through her upper body. It burned from between her shoulderblades down her spine and into her arms. Rose gasped and tears blurred her vision.

“It’s all right, sit still for a while longer,” the Doctor instructed. Rose could only whimper in response. “Shh, just relax.” The Doctor wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. He rubbed his fingers over her arm in a gentle motion. Rose hesitated just a second before curling into his side, taking the comfort he offered.

“The stun guns here on Prion are a bit more potent than what is usually used for humans,” the Doctor said after Rose had taken several deep breaths, willing the pain to subside. “It might take you a bit longer to recover from that.”

“Right. Would’ve been good to know before I tried to break into prison,” Rose said with a sigh.

“What?” the Doctor asked sharply. “Why were you doing that?”

“To get you out of here, you idiot!”

The Doctor blinked at her, perplexed. “But you don’t know me.”

“Thought you were my Doctor,” Rose said with a smile. “How am I supposed to know that all your regenerations get arrested all the time?”

“I’m afraid that is a characteristic all my bodies have in common. I’m sorry you got hurt because of me,” the Doctor said, suddenly serious.

“It’s all right. I’ll live. Dunno why the stupid psychic paper wasn’t working.” Rose rested her head on the Doctor’s shoulder, but looked up again when he let out a small noise. A sheepish expression crossed his face.

“Well, you see, the people of Prion are psychic,” he said. “You can’t fool them that easily. And they are very protective when it comes to their thoughts and emotions, which is why any kind of psychic manipulation is strictly forbidden.”

Rose groaned, hitting the Doctor on the chest. “Oi, you could have told me that before we left the Tardis this morning. And here I was wondering why you wouldn’t take the psychic paper with you.”

“It wasn’t me!” the Doctor protested.

“Will be you in the future.”

“I’m sure my future self will make it up to you by getting us both out of here.”

“If they haven’t caught him as well,” Rose mumbled, but then a thought crossed her mind. “Wait, can’t you feel him? Like, in your head? You’re telepathic, aren’t you?”

Instead of responding, the Doctor shot her a curious look.

“You do know a lot about me, Rose.”

“Yeah, course. We’ve been travelling together for a while.” Rose smiled. “Started travelling with you when you were in your ninth body and stayed after you regenerated. Not sure if you could’ve convinced me that you’re the Doctor otherwise.”

The Doctor gave her a soft smile that made Rose’s heart speed up. “Seems like I’m a very lucky man to meet you in the future.”

“Dunno, I might be luckier. At least when I don’t end up in prison because of you,” Rose said with a tongue-touched smile. “But you didn’t answer my question. You are telepathic, right?”

“Yes, I am,” the Doctor said. “But I can’t feel your Doctor. I put up my mental barriers to avoid being recognized by the police via my telepathic signature. He probably did the same.”

Rose frowned. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed. How long had she been unconscious? Had her Doctor already realized that something was up? But even if he had, she couldn’t be sure that he was already on his way. “Right, so we’re on our own for now,” she said with a sigh. “Can we get out of here?”

“You’re not going anywhere right now. You might have a concussion. You could barely stand five minutes ago.”

“I already feel better,” Rose said. She rolled her shoulders, testing the muscles in her back, and winced when her body protested. At least the sharp pain between her shoulderblades had transformed into a dull ache.

The Doctor shot her a concerned look. “The bruise on your forehead looks pretty bad. There’s some swelling. If I only had my screwdriver I could run a check-”

“Oh!” Rose exclaimed, sitting up straight so fast her head was spinning. “I forgot about that!”

“Rose, what-” the Doctor started but she hushed him and rummaged through the pocket of her jeans until she felt the cool metal of the sonic screwdriver under her fingertips. Grinning, she pulled it out, pressing it into the Doctor’s hands.

Slowly, the Doctor’s fingers wrapped around his screwdriver, brushing hers for a moment before she let go.

“That’s yours, isn’t it?”

A bright grin spread on the Doctor’s lips. Before Rose knew what was happening, he cupped her face into his hands and pressed a kiss to her temple, careful to avoid the injury at the other side of her head. Rose’s heart stuttered in her chest.

“It is! Rose Tyler, you’re brilliant! Now, let’s see...” The Doctor squinted at his screwdriver, adjusting a few settings. 

Rose silently watched him work, trying to process what he’d just done. She could still feel his lips on her skin, and it made her crave for more. But she couldn’t kiss the Doctor, she silently told herself. Not now. Although this Doctor made it as hard as her Doctor did to resist the urge to snog him senseless. Rose let out a frustrated sigh.

“Don’t worry, I’m nearly done,” the Doctor said, mistaking her sigh for something entirely else. “There we go.” He turned to her, a soft smile on his lips. “I can use the screwdriver to treat the bruise and hopefully reduce the headache. All right?”

Rose nodded and the Doctor gently cupped her cheek, holding her in place as he raised the sonic screwdriver to her temple. The familiar whirring of the device sounded through the cell. Rose winced as it made her skin prickle. In a soothing motion, the Doctor brushed his thumb over her cheek. “Hold still. The sonic is not picking up a concussion, so you will feel better in a minute. Promised,” he said, his voice low.

Rose’s breath hitched in her throat at the sudden proximity. Not daring to move she stayed still until the pain in her head eased and the Doctor pulled back. Rose touched her temple, but the bump she had felt earlier was gone. Only a slight ache was left under her skin.

“Thanks,” she said, smiling up to the Doctor.

“Anytime. Now, can I see your back?”

In a similar manner the Doctor moved his sonic over her shoulders. Rose could feel her cramped muscles relax after the assault of the stun gun. She let out a breath of relief when she stretched her arms over her head as soon as he finished. The pain was gone. Her muscles only felt a little stiff.

“Better?” the Doctor asked, letting his eyes wander over her. “Any more injuries?”

“A lot better. Good as new!” Rose smiled and got up, a lot more steady than before. She hesitantly took a few steps to pace the cell, but the dizziness didn’t return.

With a grin, the Doctor jumped to his feet and joined her. 

“Right then, Rose Tyler. Feeling up for a prison break?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is probably one more chapter coming - I'm not quite sure because I only have a broad plan, so it might actually turn into two. But I have some original stuff to work on first, so it might take longer than a week this time. :)


	4. Chapter 4

For the first time since she had woken up, Rose focused properly on her surroundings. She had noticed the grey concrete walls when she’d first opened her eyes, right before the Doctor had snatched all her attention, and there wasn’t a lot more to see. The cell was small, with barely enough space to take a few steps in each direction. On one side was a heavy metallic door. And that was it, except for a ventilation shaft in the corner, directly underneath the ceiling. It was definitely too small to climb through.

“So, do we have a plan?” Rose asked, watching the Doctor inspect the door more closely. He whipped out his sonic screwdriver, changed the setting and pointed the tip at the lock. Frowning, he studied the results of the scan.

“The good news is, it’s not deadlock sealed. But it still might be a bit tricky to open.”

“You can deal with ‘a bit tricky’, can’t you?”

“Yes, of course,” the Doctor said, flashing her a smile. “The question is: what’s waiting for us on the other side?”

“Dunno. I was unconscious when they brought me here, remember?”

With the way the Doctor’s face darkened he definitely did. “I didn’t get a good look either. The corridor might be guarded.”

“The entrance to the high-security wing definitely was. That’s as far as I got.”

The Doctor grimaced. “I don’t want to risk another confrontation,” he said with a sigh.

“We need a distraction,” Rose decided and bit her lip.

“Yes,” the Doctor agreed. “But how can we-”

A loud boom cut off the rest of the sentence. The sound was muffled inside their cell, but it still made Rose flinch. The ground shook under their feet. An explosion? Concerned, Rose looked up to the ceiling, but the walls remained solid around them. When the vibrations stopped, there were only a few seconds of silence before an alarm started blaring. Rose turned towards the Doctor with a grin.

“Is that distraction good enough for you?”

“Oh, I’ll take what I can get,” the Doctor said, immediately starting to work on the lock. “Come on…” he muttered under his breath.

Panic rose in the depths of Rose’s stomach when the door didn’t budge. The Doctor grimaced, changed the setting on the screwdriver, and tried again. This time, after a few long seconds, the lock sprang open with a click. Carefully, the Doctor pulled open the door, just enough to peek through. 

The sound of the alarm was even louder in the corridor. Rose flinched when she heard footsteps on the other side among the noise. A group of guards stomping along the hallway, the sound nearly drowned out by the siren. But they didn’t pay any attention to their cell. As soon as the footsteps retreated, the Doctor fully opened the door and looked around the corner. Rose joined him, peeking into the empty corridor.

“No one there,” the Doctor said quietly. He held out his hand and Rose didn’t hesitate to link their fingers together. A perfect fit, no matter which regeneration. The Doctor smiled at her and pulled her out of the cell. “Let’s hurry!”

Hand in hand they dashed down the hallway. Blood rushed in Rose’s ears. She wasn’t sure where they were going. Everything looked the same, but the Doctor steered her confidently through the maze of dark corridors. Their way was cut off more than once by heavy locked doors blocking the way, and they didn’t dare to stop. Standing still was too much of a risk. The alarm was still blaring, and Rose was sure the guards were close.

In front of the next junction the Doctor stopped abruptly.

“I can hear voices over there,” he whispered as they both pressed their backs to the wall and crept closer. Rose still couldn’t hear anything over the noise, but it quickly became apparent that something was going on. Dust wavered through the air, making her cough. Apparently they had found the place of the explosion. Rose finally sneaked a glance around the corner.

She suspected that there used to be a room at the end of the hall, but the view was completely obstructed by dust and dirt raining from the ceiling. The hallway was scattered with rubble. A group of guards stood at the end of corridor, their faces covered by masks, weapons raised as they stared into the dust cloud. One of them yelled orders and the group scattered, carefully pressing forward. None of them looked back to the Doctor and Rose.

“There was a staircase in that direction,” the Doctor said directly next to her, his voice low. Rose shivered as his breath ghosted over her skin.

“There has to be more than one,” she whispered and the Doctor nodded.

“I hope so. Let’s try this way.”

They quickly crossed the hallway, turning into another corridor. Another patrol came their way, but they were able to duck into an empty closet just in time. The guards rushed down the corridor into the direction of the explosion and Rose and the Doctor continued their way as soon as they were out of sight. They carefully checked each door they passed, and in the end, they finally found a staircase. Rose’s heart jumped at the sight of dim daylight shining down from above. Taking two steps at once, they dashed up the stairs, both desperate to leave the darkness of the prison behind them.

Rose didn’t see the flash of blue rushing down the stairs until the last second. She abruptly skidded to a halt and nearly crashed into the police officer who on her way down. Both the Doctor and the police officer stumbled and came to a stop as well. For a long second she stared at Rose and the Doctor in surprise, an expression that Rose was sure mirrored her own. Then the officer’s hand flew to the gun strapped to her waist.

The Doctor was faster. Before the police officer had grabbed her weapon, he raised his sonic screwdriver. The gun made a pathetic sound and let out sparks, making the officer yelp as it burned her skin. It distracted her long enough for Rose and the Doctor to push forward. Rose’s head swam with panic and adrenaline as she heard the officer yell into her communication device behind them. Her last hopes to survive the prison break without running into more trouble were crushed.

At the top of the stairs, the Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver towards the nearest window. The glass shattered with a crash that could probably be heard in the whole building. But before the noise could attract any more guards, the Doctor had pulled her through the window and into the cool evening air. They were in an alley behind the building, the setting sun casting long shadows onto the pavement. Rose only had a second to take a deep breath.

“Run!” the Doctor yelled, still gripping her hand tight in his, and Rose complied without thinking.

They hadn’t even made it out of the alleyway when Rose realized they still hadn’t left the danger behind. Heavy footsteps sounded behind them, accompanied by shouts Rose couldn’t understand over the blood rushing in her ears. Her heart thumped hard against her ribcage. A quick glance over her shoulder confirmed her suspicion: a group of police officers had already taken up the chase. 

She felt light headed all of a sudden. Despite the Doctor taking care of her, she still felt the aftermath of her injuries. Her muscles protested against the strain and her head started throbbing all over again. Gritting her teeth, Rose tried to keep up with the Doctor as best as she could.

It didn’t take long until they reached the more populated area of the city centre around the marketplace. Although it was evening the streets were still busy, providing cover as Rose and the Doctor rushed through the crowd. But it wasn’t enough to shake off their pursuers. Rose could still hear them, not directly on their heels, but too close. They wouldn’t make it to the Tardis like this.

The Doctor seemed to have the same thought. He shot her a worried look, noticing her troubles to keep up, and cursed under her breath. They turned around a corner, turning into a busy street with market stalls lining the way. Music sounded from somewhere and groups of people were laughing and drinking and dancing in the last remains of sunlight.

Rose tugged on the Doctor’s hand, willing him to stop.

“Hide! We need to hide,” she panted out between breaths. The Doctor nodded, pulling Rose towards the side and backing her against the wall. He looked back towards the street where the police could appear any second. Rose followed his gaze, her heart sinking when she realized the crowd in front of them might not be enough to go unnoticed.

“We need another distraction,” the Doctor said through gritted teeth, alarm in his voice. He tried to shield her from view, and his face was suddenly so close that there was only one solution crossing Rose’s mind.

She turned the Doctor’s face back towards her, grabbed his lapels and pulled his lips down to hers.

The Doctor gasped against her lips in surprise, but to Rose’s delight, he responded after only a second of hesitation. His mouth moved over hers, tentative at first, but quickly growing bolder. He pressed closer until her back hit the wall and Rose groaned at the feeling of the Doctor’s body flush against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close.

Rose became vaguely aware of a turmoil on the street as the police patrol chased by. People were murmuring, turning their heads, parting the way to allow the officers to pass through. She tensed, just for a second, but then the Doctor tightened his grip on her. He nipped at her lip without warning and she gasped. The Doctor immediately deepened the kiss and her last concerns were washed away together with every coherent thought in her head. The passion the Doctor poured into the kiss took her breath away.

The stomping of boots went as fast as it came, and a few seconds later, the murmurs died down and the music flared up again as if nothing had happened. The Doctor grinned against her mouth and Rose couldn’t help but laugh until they had to pull apart. Eyes dark and hooded, the Doctor stared down at her as if she was the most alluring thing in the whole universe. Rose felt her heart speed up and matched his smile with a beaming grin of her own.

“Was that distraction good enough?” she said with a tongue-touched smile. The Doctor gulped, his eyes flickering down to her mouth.

“Oh, yes. Absolutely perfect,” the Doctor said. A second later, his lips were back on hers. It was slower this time, as if the Doctor tried to mesmerize every touch and every little sound she made. He cupped her cheek before his hand moved lower, resting on her shoulder for a second and then going down, hesitantly. Rose arched into his touch, an unspoken invitation. But before the Doctor could act on it, a familiar voice interrupted them.

“Oi!” the older Doctor said. “Would you mind to keep your hands to yourself? I don’t want you to get arrested again for public indecency.”

Rose and the Doctor pulled apart, both a little out of breath. They turned to see the other Doctor glaring at them. He stopped to brush a layer of dust off his suit, but when he was done, there was still some left clinging to his shoulders. Even his hair - a little more disheveled than usual - had some grey patches in it.

“What happened to you? Are you all right?” Rose asked.

“Am I all right?” the Doctor asked in disbelief, stepping closer as he arched an eyebrow at her. “Of course I am. I’m not the one sporting a rather prominent bruise on my forehead.”

Rose raised her hand to her temple, her earlier injuries nearly forgotten in the heat of the kiss.

“I’m fine. He already patched me up,” she said with a nod to the other Doctor. The pinstriped Doctor promptly tore his gaze away from her to glare at his other self.

“It wasn’t his fault!” Rose said before any of the Doctors could say a word. “And I’m okay, really.” 

She reached out for the Doctor’s hand and gave it a squeeze. His shoulders heaved as he took a deep breath. He wasn’t angry, but worried about her, Rose realized with a start. She gently tugged at his hand and he came willingly, enveloping her in a hug she gladly returned. At her touch, the tension finally drained out of his body. The dust still covering the Doctor’s suit tickled in Rose’s nose and she grimaced.

“But really, where have you been?” Rose asked when they eventually pulled apart. The Doctor, reluctant to let her go and resting his hands on her waist, raised an eyebrow at her.

“I set up the explosion at the police station so you two could escape. Could’ve waited for me,” the Doctor said.

“We were a bit in a hurry,” interrupted the younger Doctor. “And if you’re done here we should get a move on. Before they come back looking for us.”

Abruptly, the older Doctor stepped away from Rose.

“You didn’t seem to be in a hurry just a minute ago,” he said, burying his hands in the pockets of his suit.

“That was a distraction. We needed to hide,” the younger Doctor said. His older self only narrowed his eyes at him.

“Didn’t look much like a distraction either. Was the tongue really necessary?”

“Well, it had to be authentic.”

“Oh, and you couldn’t have-”

“Doctor!” Rose interrupted, her patience running out. She glared at both of them. “You just said we should hurry and I really don’t want to get locked up again.”

“Right,” her Doctor said. “Let’s go. Our Tardis is not far from here.” He quickly reached for Rose’s hand, as if he wanted to make sure he would be the first one. Rose only rolled her eyes and started off in the direction where she suspected the Tardis, both Doctors rushing to follow her.

The way was too short for the Doctors to start bickering again. It took them only a few minutes until they reached the Tardis. Rose let out a breath of relief when they stepped through the doors without any more incidents.

The Doctor shrugged out of his coat and bounced towards the console. “Right,” he said, pulling a lever. “We’ll drop you off at your Tardis, just in case. The city could be swarming with police soon.”

Rose leaned her back against the railing and the younger Doctor joined her, their shoulders touching.

“I think this is goodbye,” she said quietly and the Doctor nodded.

“I’m afraid so.” He gave her a sad smile. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Rose Tyler.”

“You’ll have to forget this, don’t you?”

“Yes. But-” The Doctor paused, his eyes lighting up. “That only means I get to experience the pleasure of getting to know you all over again. And I’m looking forward to that.”

Rose smiled and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight embrace. The Doctor hummed and held her close as the Tardis groaned and shuddered around them.

“There we are,” the older Doctor interrupted. “Landed right next to your Tardis.”

Reluctantly, the younger Doctor pulled back. “Perfect, thank you,” he said, nodding towards his other self. “Take good care of her, will you?”

Her Doctor nodded, suddenly serious. “Always will. Thank you for doing the same today.”

“Of course.” The Doctor smiled, stepping towards the door. “Goodbye.”

With a heavy heart, Rose watched him go. She gave him one last smile as he looked back over his shoulder, and then he was gone. Silence fell between her and the older Doctor, until he cleared his throat and walked back towards the console. Heaving out a sigh, Rose joined him. He didn’t look up from the controls when he spoke.

“I’d like to do a quick check in the infirmary. Just in case he missed something.”

“He didn’t,” Rose insisted. “I’m fine, really. It’s just a little bruised. Doesn’t even hurt.”

“Just to be sure. You did hurt your head and all that… err, exercise was certainly not helping you to recover.”

The tone in his voice was odd. Rose couldn’t put her finger on it, but it felt completely out of place. She crossed her arms over her chest. “What are you trying to say?”

The Doctor sniffed and finally looked at her. “Just that you two could’ve been more careful. He should have been more careful. It was his fault you ended up there in the first place.”

“You can’t blame him for that,” Rose protested, glaring at him. “And… oh.” Realization suddenly struck and Rose couldn’t help but smile. He was behaving like that ever since he had found them, limbs entwined, their lips pressed together. It all made sense.

“What?” the Doctor asked, raising his eyebrows in question.

“You know I’m fine, and you know what happened wasn’t his fault. You’re just being a prick because you’re jealous.”

“What!” The Doctor’s cheeks flushed. “I’m not jealous. Seriously, Rose. Time Lords do not get jealous. We’re above that.”

“Yes, I can see that,” Rose said with a roll of her eyes. “You’re jealous because I kissed him.”

“I’m not,” the Doctor said, his voice a pitch too high to be believable. “You can kiss whoever you want.”

“You’re being ridiculous, you know?” Rose informed him. “He’s you. Technically I kissed both of you because it already happened to you.”

The Doctor grumbled something unintelligible under his breath.

“What was that?”

“I said, it’s not that I remember that,” the Doctor repeated and Rose’s patience snapped.

Determinately she stepped forward, backed the Doctor up against the console and pulled his head down to hers. Their lips met just as the Doctor’s bum hit the console. For a second he was stiff against her, but then he melted into her touch, wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her closer. His mouth moved over hers as if he could never get enough of this. Delighted at his response, Rose buried her fingers in his hair. She scraped her nails over his scalp, making the Doctor moan against her mouth. Warmth pooled low in her belly at the sound. She craved to hear it again. Louder this time, maybe while he was uttering her name, and definitely while he was wearing fewer clothes.

Gathering her last remains of self control, Rose abruptly pulled back. Breathing hard, she looked up to the Doctor. A broad grin spread on her lips as she took in his bedazzled expression: his cheeks flushed, his lips red from kissing and his mouth hanging opening. The fact that she could make the Doctor look like this made her head swim.

“There,” she finally said, struggling to say coherent words. “No reason to be jealous, now that I’ve kissed both of you.”

The Doctor blinked, confused, as if his brain needed a second to catch up.

“Right,” he finally said, his voice hoarse. He cleared his throat before straightening, his fingers flexing on her waist.

“You can stop being an idiot now.”

“I will,” he promised. “But this wasn’t quite the same.”

Rose arched an eyebrow at him. His cheeks flushed an even deeper red.

“When you kissed him,” the Doctor started hesitantly, “there was a bit more… tongue.”

Rose stared at him, needing a second to process his words. Then she burst out laughing. “Is this your way of asking for another kiss?” she finally said between giggles. “You can just say so, you know.”

The Doctor took a deep breath, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He gently pulled her closer until his breath was ghosting over her lips.

“Rose Tyler, I’d like to kiss you again. And again. And a-”

He was cut off when Rose pulled his lips back down to hers.


End file.
